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Introduction

XStat Device Can Seal a Gunshot Wound, Stop Bleeding in 15 Seconds. The Xstat is a
pocket-sized invention that could soon save the lives of many wounded soldiers on the
battlefield. The XStat, developed by Oregon-based company RevMedx, Inc., is a syringe that
injects tiny sponges into a bullet wound to completely seal it off and stop bleeding within 15
seconds. It's a groundbreaking medical device that may soon be found in the gear bags of U.S.

Body

Military medics and first responders across the globe. Popular Science reported that after
seeing the prototypes, the U.S. Army gave RevMedx $5 million to develop the XStat, the first-
in-kind hemostatic device. The Army has also asked the Food and Drug Administration to
quickly approve the technology, so that it can get into the hands of field medics as soon as
possible. RevMedx's invention solves an age-old problem for medics on the battlefield: How do
you quickly stop bleeding in a gunshot wound and seal it off completely? Medics usually pack
gauze directly into a wound in order to stop severe bleeding from damaged arteries; however, it's
a painful and sometimes ineffective solution to treating severe bullet wounds. It's a problem that
former United States Army Special Operations medic and RevMedx developer John Steignbaugh
saw all too often throughout his military career. How does the XStat Device Work? The initial
prototype of what would become the XStat 12 used foam injection, similar to the foam material
that's used to quickly seal car tires on the roadside. But the foam injections proved ineffective at
stopping heavy bleeding. RevMedx's solution was to use small foam sponges, cut into one-
centimeter circles, that could be delivered through the syringe. The sponges are made from wood
pulp, and coated with a type of blood-clotting, antimicrobial substance that's found in shrimp
shells. When injected into the wound, the sponges take just 15 seconds to expand and completely
fill the cavity and stop heavy bleeding. Each sponge is marked with an X that shows up during
an X-ray scan, so that they can be easily found and removed in post-treatment.

The XStat syringe is a 30 millimeter-diameter polycarbonate pocket-sized life-saving

device that stores with the handle inside, so that medics can carry multiple applicators in the
field. Popular Science reported that both RevMedx and the Army were in the final stages of talks
with the FDA to get the XStat approved. RevMedx is also working on a version of the XStat that
can stop postpartum bleeding. The company, along with Oregon Health and Science University
in Portland, won a seed grant in 2013 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to adapt the
technology for medical use. If this device could save lives and prevent traumatic injury, then it's
the type of product we can expect, eventually, to trickle down to the wilderness survival and
disaster prep markets. We should be encouraging any medical device company that's willing to
invest time and effort into emergency surgical care. This seemingly simple syringe-like
applicator could be the beginning of a revolutionary wave, changing the way we treat extremity
wounds. That's something we can all learn from.When a soldier is shot on the battlefield, the
emergency treatment can seem as brutal as the injury itself. A medic must pack gauze directly
into the wound cavity, sometimes as deep as 5 inches into the body, to stop bleeding from an
artery. It’s an agonizing process that doesn't always work--if bleeding hasn't stopped after three
minutes of applying direct pressure, the medic must pull out all the gauze and start over again.
It’s so painful, “you take the guy’s gun away first,” says former U.S. Army Special Operations
medic John Steinbaugh.

Even with this emergency treatment, many soldiers still bleed to death; hemorrhage is a leading
cause of death on the battlefield. "Gauze bandages just don't work for anything serious," says
Steinbaugh, who tended to injured soldiers during more than a dozen deployments to Iraq and
Afghanistan. When Steinbaugh retired in April 2012 after a head injury, he joined an Oregon-
based startup called RevMedx, a small group of veterans, scientists, and engineers who were
working on a better way to stop bleeding. Three single-use XStat applicators would replace five
bulky rolls of gauze in a medic’s kit. RevMedx also designed a smaller version of the applicator,
with a diameter of 12 millimeters, for narrower injuries. Each XStat will likely cost about $100,
Steinbaugh says, but the price may go down as RevMedx boosts manufacturing.

If the FDA approves XStat, it will be the first battlefield dressing created specifically for deep,
narrow wounds. Gauze, the standard treatment for gunshot and shrapnel injuries, is only
approved by the FDA for external use, but “everyone knows that if you get shot, you have to
pack gauze into the wound,” says Steinbaugh. When RevMedx submitted its application to the
FDA, the U.S. Army attached a cover letter requesting expedited approval. According to
Steinbaugh, RevMedx and the military are now in final discussions with the FDA.
Last summer, RevMedx and Oregon Health and Science University won a seed grant, sponsored
by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to develop a version of XStat to stop postpartum
bleeding. In the future, RevMedx hopes to create biodegradable sponges that don't have to be
removed from the body. To cover large injuries, like those caused by land mines, the team is
working on an expanding gauze made of the same material as XStat sponges.

“I spent the whole war on terror in the Middle East, so I know what a medic needs when
someone has been shot, ” Steinbaugh says. “I’ve treated lots of guys who would have benefitted
from this product. That’s what drives me.”

Conclusion

If you ever have the misfortune to suffer from a deep wound, a new medical device could
help patch it up in the space of 15 seconds. US startup RevMedx, which develops medical
technology for combat medics and civilian first responders, has created Xstat Dressing, an in-
development technology that uses small, expandable sponges to dress a gunshot or deep wounds.
The sponges, which are standard medical sponges that have been compressed and coated with
chitosan (which helps stop bleeding), expand once they’re in the wound and take 15 seconds to
complete. They help to slow blood flow while providing enough pressure so that no direct
manual pressure is needed.
The concept of XStat is simple using a pressure applicator, the device injects a group of
small, rapidly-expanding sponges into a wound cavity (such as those caused by gunshot or stab
wounds) and rapidly seals it. In the wound, the expanding sponges create enough pressure to
rapidly slow the pace of bleeding and allow clotting to occur. It's demonstrated statistically
significant results in testing with swine, and according to the company, created "a large reduction
in blood loss, resuscitation fluid requirement, and medic treatment time." The device is a game-
changer when it comes to survivable trauma. Previously, all medics responding to gunshot
wounds could do is stuff gauze into the wound — a horrifically painful process that needs to be
repeated if the bleeding fails to cease within three minutes.